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婴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
yīnginfantn, 11 strokes, radical 女, rank #12525, Hard
yīngbabyn, 11 strokes, radical 女, rank #12525, Hard
yīngbaby, infant; to bothern, 11 strokes, radical 女, rank #12525, Hard
yīng(ying1) T1
  1. 1infant
  2. 2baby
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

(嬰)yīng(ying1)

The character 婴 (yīng) refers primarily to an infant or baby. It is commonly used in contexts related to young children, parenting, and healthcare. Additionally, it can convey a sense of endearment or vulnerability associated with very young children.

Strokes11RadicalFrequency#12525DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on the care and upbringing of infants, often involving traditional practices like wrapping babies snugly. The concept of '育儿' (yù'ér), meaning 'child-rearing', is deeply ingrained in family life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small baby wrapped in a soft blanket (the character 婴 resembles a person in a cozy wrap). The two components—女 (nǚ), meaning 'woman' or 'female', and baby-related imagery—help you remember it refers to a young child, as they are often cared for by women.

Meanings of 婴

yīng(ying1)
1infant
2baby
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 婴

Simplified
Traditional
11Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#12525Frequency Rank

Podcast: 婴

JasonAmy

Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 婴

Quick Contrast

婴 (infant) vs 幼 (young) — use 婴 specifically for very young children or infants, while 幼 can refer to a broader range of youth, including toddlers and young animals.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a small baby wrapped in a soft blanket (the character 婴 resembles a person in a cozy wrap). The two components—女 (nǚ), meaning 'woman' or 'female', and baby-related imagery—help you remember it refers to a young child, as they are often cared for by women.

Usage Notes

婴 is typically used in both formal and informal contexts but is most common in healthcare or parenting discussions. Beware of using it inappropriately for older children, as it specifically denotes very young infants. Common collocations include 婴儿 (yīng'ér) meaning 'infant' and 婴儿用品 (yīng'ér yòngpǐn) meaning 'baby products'.

HSK Study Tips

While 婴 is not included in HSK levels, it relates to words about family and children commonly found in beginner and intermediate levels. Focus on its usage with family-related vocabulary to build context and understanding.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on the care and upbringing of infants, often involving traditional practices like wrapping babies snugly. The concept of '育儿' (yù'ér), meaning 'child-rearing', is deeply ingrained in family life.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 婴 with 儿 (ér) and use it for older children, which is incorrect. For example, saying '我的婴儿是五岁' (wǒ de yīng'ér shì wǔ suì) is incorrect; it should be '我的儿子是五岁' (wǒ de érzi shì wǔ suì).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 婴

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Etymology of 婴

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 婴?

Decomposition of 婴

IDS Structure⿱⿰贝贝女
Full Character
=
Bei4
left
Bei4
right
nü3
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 婴?

Write 婴

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 婴

婴 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他认为____儿几乎就是毫无生命的物体。

He thought of the baby almost as an inanimate object.

Example Sentences for 婴 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他认为婴儿几乎就是毫无生命的物体。

tā rèn wéi yīng ér jī hū jiù shì háo wú shēng mìng de wù tǐ。

He thought of the baby almost as an inanimate object.
2
在黑暗和嘈杂的声音中,婴儿饱受惊吓。

zài hēi àn hé cáo zá de shēng yīn zhōng, , yīng ér bǎo shòu jīng。

The baby was filled with alarm at the darkness and the noise.
3
我知道有一些狗咬婴儿的事情。

wǒ zhī dào yǒu yī xiē gǒu yǎo yīng ér de shì qíng。

I have known cases where dogs have nipped babies.
4
分娩过程最终非常顺利,生了个健康的男婴。

fēn miǎn guò chéng zuì zhōng fēi cháng shùn lì, , shēng le gè jiàn kāng de nán。

In the end, it was an easy delivery: a fine baby boy.
5
婴儿的母亲和另外两个孩子一起逃离了火海。

yīng ér de mǔ qīn hé lìng wài liǎng gè hái zǐ yī qǐ táo lí le huǒ hǎi。

The baby's mother escaped from the fire along with two other children.
6
有个婴儿在教堂后部大声啼哭。

yǒu gè yīng ér zài jiào táng hòu bù dà shēng tí kū。

There was an infant squalling in the back of the church.
7
婴儿早产3个月,体重只有3磅5盎司。

yīng ér zǎo chǎn3 3 gè, yuè , tǐ zhòng3 zhī5 yǒu 3。

The baby was born three months early weighing only 3 lb 5oz.
8
世上最让人难受的莫过于小婴儿遭到遗弃。

shì shàng zuì ràng rén nán shòu de mò guò yú xiǎo yīng ér zāo dào yí qì。

The saddest thing in the world is a little baby nobody wants.
9
那婴儿是施行剖宫产手术出生的。

nà yīng ér shì shī háng pōu gōng chǎn shǒu shù chū shēng de。

The baby was born by Caesarean section.
10
婴儿要是渴了,就会吃得更频繁。

yīng ér yào shì kě le, , jiù huì chī dé gēng pín。

If a baby is thirsty, it feeds more often.

Cultural Notes for 婴

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on the care and upbringing of infants, often involving traditional practices like wrapping babies snugly. The concept of '育儿' (yù'ér), meaning 'child-rearing', is deeply ingrained in family life.

Word Family of 婴

Compounds7
ying1cherry, cherry blossom
ying1parrot
ying1onomatopoetic, a bird call; to seek friends
ying1tassel, ribbon; to bother, to annoy
ying3swelling, goiter
ying1to offend, to oppose, to run counter to
ying1a necklace made of precious stones
Words Containing This Character13
婴儿yīng’érinfant嬰兒
yīnginfant
婴幼儿baby嬰幼兒
女婴female baby女嬰
男婴male baby男嬰
婴孩infant嬰孩
婴儿车pram嬰兒車
弃婴abandoned baby棄嬰
婴儿期infancy嬰兒期
试管婴儿test tube baby試管嬰兒
晏婴Yanzi (-c 500 BC), famous statesman from Qi of the Warring States, also known as 晏子, hero of book 晏子春秋晏嬰
圣婴El Niño (meteorology)聖嬰
溺婴to drown a newborn baby (as method of infanticide)溺嬰
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 樱 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 婴

It is pronounced as yīng, with a high-level tone.